There is a medical image-processing apparatus for displaying three-dimensional image data that have been acquired by a diagnostic medical imaging apparatus. The diagnostic medical imaging apparatus herein includes an X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) apparatus, an Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) apparatus, an X-ray diagnosis apparatus, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, etc. The medical image-processing apparatus is an apparatus that executes image-processing on image data that have been generated by the diagnostic medical imaging apparatus.
In addition, the diagnostic medical imaging apparatus includes an apparatus that enables scanning sessions per a unit of time for a relatively wide region in high-definition (high-resolution) images as does a multi-slice X-ray CT apparatus, which comprises a 2D detector. The 2D detector has a plurality of detector elements, which are arranged in an array of rows and columns, with the total number of elements being defined by “m” channels times “n” columns (the “m” and “n” are positive integers). While one row of detector elements are used in a single-slice X-ray CT apparatus, the 2D detector has rows in a plurality of columns (for example, four columns, eight columns, etc.) in the direction perpendicular to the rows.
The larger the detector (i.e., the greater the number of detector elements) employed in the multi-slice X-ray CT apparatus, the wider the region covered by the projection data acquired by a session of scanning. In other words, the multi-slice X-ray CT apparatus equipped with such a detector is effective in chronologically scanning a predetermined region for acquisition of volume data, which can be generated at a high frame-rate. This type of scanning, which is hereinafter referred to as “Dynamic Volume scan”, provides three-dimensional images and enables the operator to evaluate the motion per a unit of time of the scanned region.
In addition, the medical image-processing apparatus generates medical images based on image data acquired with such diagnostic medical imaging apparatus. The medical image-processing apparatus generates medical images, for example, based on volume data that have been reconstructed by an X-ray CT apparatus.